First Draft to Published

“Wake up people! Find your behind and sit on it,” Captain Adam yelled over the roar of the monster wave spilling into a 20-foot hole- dead ahead. Lava Falls is the most fearsome rapids on the 227-mile Grand Canyon run. I bolted from my day-dreaming position on the warm pontoon. While drifting between walls of black porous rock once inside the cone of a volcano, I'd sunk into river time. When we floated past the enormous basalt plug in the middle of the river, I'd forgotten that it meant we were approaching Lava Falls and that I was holding a one-way ticket home. Read more here

by Linda Ballou Birding is the second fastest growing sport in America. Sixty-five million of us are rising at ungodly hours to steal through estuaries and woodlands hoping to spy the flash of a wing. Some of us spend fortunes enticing our avian friends to our back yards. Why?    (1) Birding is an opportunity for purposeful lollygagging . We must go slowly to catch a glimpse of the vast variety of birds that share the planet with us. A stroll through dew-laden meadows can garner sightings of warblers, finches, bluebirds, and meadow larks swaying on a stem. The seldom seen sora and the ubiquitous great blue heron are found in wetlands along with egrets and dabbling ducks. White pelicans that we associate with the sea migrate to fresh-water stopovers during winter like many other long distance travelers. Slowing down allows you to spot all of these wonderful variations in nature. Read more here at NABBW

Join me on the descent to the grandest canyon of all! Even though this article is a posted column on the National Association of Baby Booomer Women’s site, the raft through the Grand Canyon is a journey that can be enjoyed by anyone. All you need to bring on this  " bucket list " trip is the right frame of mind and you will return with smile that will last quite some time. Read more at NABBW !

The sign reads “Malibu State Beach and Museum,” but fast-moving traffic on Pacific Coast Highway does not encourage one to stop and explore the Adamson House behind the block wall ensconced in honeysuckle and bougainvillea. The Spanish hacienda built in the ’20s was originally the beach home of the first family of Malibu—Merritt Huntley Adamson and his wife Rhoda Rindge Adamson. It rests on thirteen prime coastal acres overlooking Santa Monica Bay. Mrs. Adamson was the daughter Continue reading on Examiner.com: Great Outdoor Day #15-Malibu-Where the Surf Speaks Loudly - Los Angeles Outdoor Travel | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/outdoor-travel-in-los-angeles/great-outdoor-day-15-malibu-where-the-surf-speaks-loudly-review-1#ixzz1NCUPuhNI

My very good friend, travel writer and author, Linda Ballou is featured the month of May in the online travel magazine Real Travel Adventures. A three-mile causeway from Fort Meyers across San Carlos Bay to the barrier islands of Sanibel and Captiva takes you back to a gentler time. People seem to move slower here where there are no stop signs, no street lights, and no structures over three stories. The year-round population of about 6,200 souls bulges to 20,000 in winter when snowbirds of all stripes migrate here from the frozen North. Twenty-five miles of biking trails along with a 100-mile kayaking trail called the Great Calusa Blueway, the best shelling in the world, and opportunities for sport fishing make this a great getaway for those who love the outdoors. Read the article at Real Travel Adventures Read Linda's Blog, Linda Ballou Talking to You